While North Korean video showing a smiling Kim moving around, cutting a red ribbon and smoking quelled intense rumors that he might be gravely ill or even have died, some media outlets and observers still raised questions about his health, citing moments when his walking looked a bit stiff at the factory.
A senior South Korean presidential official told reporters Sunday that the government had determined that Kim did not have surgery or any other procedure, according to the presidential Blue House. The official, whose name wasn’t disclosed by the Blue House, refused to provide the basis for the intelligence assessment.
South Korea has a spotty record in confirming developments in North Korea, one of the world’s most secretive countries. But when rumors about Kim’s health surfaced in recent weeks, the South Korean government steadfastly dismissed them as baseless and maintained there were no unusual activities in the North.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member